updated 10:20 am EST, Thu December 3, 2009

Dell issues software fix for Latitude PCs, more

Computer maker Dell has addressed the recently publicized issue with its Latitude E6400- and E6500-series notebook computers through a pair of updates (E6400, E6500). These PCs inexplicably throttled their CPU clock speeds to 1,000MHz, or less than half of their rated 2.2GHz speeds whenever their temperatures raised slightly or the CPU was asked to perform intensive tasks. The fix comes in the form of a BIOS update.

Dell also took this opportunity to address another issue, this one with noisy Seagate drives in its notebooks. The software update should quiet down the loud operation of the hard drives.

A fix for the under-performing Studio XPS 1645 is not yet out, but neither will it be coming via a software update. Its issue is apparently related to an underrated 90W power supply, and Dell will reportedly ship a free replacement 130W power supply to owners who call for help. [viaEngadget]